Leaked screenshot shows a revamped Google Play store for Android

Rumors also point to a more integrated messaging service.

There's no better way to start a week than a few rumored makeover leaks, right? Google has apparently been working on a redesign to Android's Google Play store that will include brighter colors and bigger images, not to mention a clean new interface.

Droid Life reports that YouTube employee Eileen Rivera leaked a screenshot of the new Google Play store on her Google+ profile over the weekend. Although the image has since been deleted from her profile page, someone managed to grab it before it was removed. The image shows a cleaner looking menu screen on Google Play, with a dog bowl and a bone as the icon for the app marketplace. Apparently, that is the symbol for when Google "dogfoods" a design with its employees, which means they are working on the redesign internally.

Enlarge/ The leaked image of how the Google Play store may soon appear.

Droid Life also reports about the rumors around Google's new unified chat service called Babel. It will integrate with Android, iOS, Chrome, Google+, and Gmail. Features will include a conversation-focused interface, improved group conversations, and better notifications.

We will most likely hear more about this at Google's I/O Developers Conference in May. Ars will be there covering the announcements, so be sure to join us May 15-17.

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.